Coming out of the nest

We have an unprecedented number of ant nests in our lawn this year. I've no idea why, and I wonder if anyone else has too?
Young female and male ants of the Camponotus japonicus species grow in the nests and become adults with four wings each autumn. These adults pass the winter in the nests and crawl out of there in May of the following year. These female and male ants will then mate with each other. Mating will take place in the evening of a muggy day around May 20. To begin with, male ants will take off flying into the air as they are lighter than the females. Females, which have larger and heavier bodies, take off from a blade of grass or stones as if they have leapt from there. Female ants fly toward a male ant by trailing the pleasant odour that he releases.

So with that in mind, having taken a photo of a fairy [on a bag in the Hospice shop] and a step with holes [up to the mobile at the health centre] I put this together. It would be lovely to see pink fairies coming out of the ant nests, but then it is silly Sunday
Thanks for looking
Helen